Safe destinations for Jews

A cluster of threats at Jewish institutions prompted evacuations in New Jersey, New York, Florida and Los Angeles from October 5 to 12; police found no explosives in the reported cases. On October 7, federal authorities said they had foiled an alleged mass-shooting plot at Minnesota’s Mall of America, with the suspect citing its Jewish owners. In September, an alleged Pittsburgh-area plot to attack synagogues was disclosed, a Florida man was arrested for threatening in videos to "hunt Jews", and a Jewish man was punched near Chicago’s Ogilvie station after being asked if he was Jewish. Antisemitic graffiti at a San Anselmo, California, school is being investigated as a hate crime. Stay alert around Jewish schools and community sites and follow local police updates.

In late September, police disrupted an alleged plot targeting Manchester’s Jewish community; two men were charged after prosecutors said they had surveilled a synagogue and the Jewish Museum. Police said there was no ongoing public threat, and extra patrols were deployed around Jewish communities. On October 6, a Jewish man was assaulted in Bloomsbury, London, after confronting men spraying anti-Israel graffiti; police are treating it as an antisemitic hate crime. Police also investigated two assaults on Jewish schoolboys in north London in early September, and fireworks were launched toward a London synagogue. The government announced an inquiry into the fatal 2025 Manchester synagogue attack. Remain alert around synagogues and other Jewish institutions and follow local police guidance.

A hate-motivated shooting outside a Belleville synagogue on September 20 wounded a police officer; police said the gunman shouted an antisemitic threat before opening fire. On October 7, several Israeli flags were set on fire outside a Toronto church, and police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. Toronto also saw a largely peaceful march on October 10, while reports described a confrontation at a Montreal protest on October 12. The incidents were reported in different cities; travelers should stay alert near Jewish institutions and demonstrations.

On October 7, Jewish commemorations in Sydney and a pro-Palestinian silent sit-in in Melbourne were reported as peaceful, with police keeping the groups apart; some Jewish organizers kept event locations private amid safety concerns. Australia remains on alert after the December 2025 Bondi Beach terror attack on a Hanukkah event in Sydney that killed 15 people, and antisemitic incidents have risen about 270% since 2021. In late September it was reported that a Melbourne preacher urged followers to take up arms against enemies including Jews, and Glen Eira council in Melbourne adopted an antisemitism strategy amid rising local incidents. No new targeted violent attack was reported in the past 30 days; stay alert at public Jewish events, especially in Sydney and Melbourne.

In Berlin’s Kreuzberg district, a shopkeeper was repeatedly pepper-sprayed and beaten on October 7–8 after displaying posters opposing antisemitism; police are investigating a suspected antisemitic motive. In Düsseldorf, a kippah-wearing man was beaten on September 22 after anti-Israel insults. On September 17, an attempted arson attack targeted Wuppertal’s synagogue, and in mid-September a woman wearing a Star of David necklace was attacked with a broken bottle in Berlin. Prosecutors charged seven alleged Hamas members over a thwarted plot against Jewish and Israeli targets, and Germany recorded a record 8,725 antisemitic incidents in 2025. Berlin police also reported antisemitic slogans and disorder at a pro-Palestinian march on October 7. Avoid demonstrations and stay alert around Jewish and Israeli community events. Israel’s government lists Germany at medium threat and advises increased precautions.

On 16 September, a rabbi was assaulted in Milan in an attack a judge described as motivated by religious hatred; two suspects were later deported. On 25 September, police searched 17 people nationwide in a neo-Nazi investigation involving alleged proposals to attack a synagogue, a mosque and a school. In August, a French Jewish tourist wearing a kippah was assaulted twice in two days in Rome, and Italy recorded 401 antisemitic incidents in the first half of 2026. A large pro-Palestinian march in Rome on 10 October was reported without incidents. The Israeli government advises increased caution; avoid demonstrations and stay alert around Jewish institutions.

On October 7, a Paris administrative court lifted a police ban on a small pro-Palestinian demonstration; police had cited public-order concerns and persistently high antisemitic acts. On October 9, cargo workers at Charles de Gaulle airport refused to load an Israeli defense company’s shipment onto an El Al flight; passenger flights were not reported affected. In early September, three men were detained over a foiled plot to commit violence against the Jewish community, reportedly near a synagogue. Earlier in 2026, more than twelve Torah scrolls were stolen from the Grand Synagogue of Levallois-Perret and a planned attack on a synagogue in Sarcelles was foiled; anti-Jewish acts made up about 53% of anti-religious acts in 2025. The Israeli government advises increased caution; avoid demonstrations and stay alert around synagogues and Jewish events.

On October 7, about 150 demonstrators in Amsterdam expressed support for Hamas, burned an Israeli flag and tried to march toward a neighborhood with Jewish buildings; police redirected them and the mayor dispersed the protest. That day, Israeli-flag designs altered with swastikas were found at around 30 sites in Nieuw-Lekkerland, and the municipality filed a police report. Alkmaar barred Hapoel Be’er Sheva supporters from its October 15 match, citing public-order risks. Dutch police recorded 867 antisemitic incidents in 2025, and a September 19 far-right rally in The Hague included Nazi salutes and antisemitic slogans. Jewish and Israeli visitors should avoid demonstrations and monitor local updates, particularly in Amsterdam.

On October 15 in Madrid, about 200 protesters demanded the cancellation of an Israeli dance company’s performances and shouted insults at arriving audience members; the shows went ahead and no physical violence was reported. On September 8, some fans outside Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium chanted an explicit threat against Jews, and in August 2026 French Jewish tourists were attacked by a mob in Barcelona. Spain’s Jewish federation reported that antisemitic incidents rose 14.5% in 2025. The Israeli government advises increased caution; avoid demonstrations and large crowds and stay alert at politically charged public events.

A protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Athens on October 7 drew criticism from Greece’s government spokesman, who condemned its timing; a separate peaceful anti-war rally in Athens on October 6 included anti-Israel chants. In August, a mob attack injured Israeli tourists in Crete and antisemitic graffiti appeared in Heraklion; Greece’s Jewish community has warned of rising antisemitism. No violence targeting Jewish or Israeli travelers was verified in the past 30 days. Avoid demonstrations and nearby areas when gatherings are taking place.

Israeli authorities prohibit Israelis from entering Iran and advise against flights over Iranian territory. On October 7, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard praised the Hamas-led attack and vowed to continue its campaign against Israel; an Iranian army spokesman also raised the possibility of pre-emptive strikes. On September 19, Iran executed a man convicted of passing missile-site information to Israel, highlighting the risks linked to suspected cooperation with Israel.

In early October, Dublin’s Jewish community held an October 7 memorial under tight security after the chief rabbi said concerns about possible physical harm had led the main synagogue to avoid a public event. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Dublin included a march of more than 10,000 people and a football protest that briefly interrupted a match; reports did not describe attacks on Jews or Israelis. Jewish community leaders have described growing hostility, but no recent physical attack targeting Jews was identified. Avoid demonstrations and protest activity around sporting events, and check local conditions before attending.

An Israeli man was killed on Koh Phangan on September 30; investigators examined a possible ideological motive, which remains unconfirmed. On October 8, Thai authorities searched three Jewish- and Chabad-linked sites in Bangkok as part of a broader investigation into suspected foreign-business-law violations; Chabad said it welcomed the inquiry. Officials inspected Chiang Mai’s Chabad House on October 14 and reported no violations. In September, anti-Israel protests in Bangkok and outside Chabad in Patong included anti-Jewish messages and prompted tighter security, with no reported violence. Israel advises avoiding the southernmost part of Thailand, excluding the islands; its Level 2 advisory applies to the rest of the country.

On October 7 in Eskilstuna, a man tore down an Israeli flag at a memorial marking the Hamas attack; when a party official tried to retrieve it, the man swung at him and injured his hand. The suspect was arrested, and the incident was reported as a suspected hate crime. On September 26 at the Gothenburg Book Fair, a man threw red liquid at an Israeli flag at a Sweden-Israel Friendship Association stand and was removed by police. On September 16, Sweden expelled an Iranian embassy employee amid government allegations of Iranian threats to Jewish and Israeli interests, including through criminal networks. Stay alert at public events and around visible Israeli or Jewish symbols, and avoid confrontation.

On October 5–9, a Geneva queer film festival removed an Israeli film after boycott pressure, a sign of hostility toward Israeli cultural participation rather than a reported attack on Jewish travelers. On October 11, a pro-Palestinian march in Zurich was peaceful; a separate Lausanne demonstration involved property damage and police tear gas, with no reported targeting of Jews or Jewish property. A Swiss Jewish monitoring group also reported growing security concerns. Travelers should avoid demonstrations and check local updates; no recent targeted physical attack on Jews was identified in the reports reviewed.

On September 30, a co-pilot attacked the captain aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv carrying Israeli passengers. On October 9, UAE prosecutors said he had planned to seize the plane and crash it into Ben Gurion Airport; the flight diverted safely to Saudi Arabia. The incident targeted an Israel-bound flight, not Jewish travelers generally in the UAE, but commercial flights were disrupted and travelers were left stranded. Check flight status and airline guidance before traveling. Israel’s current medium-threat advisory urges avoiding non-essential travel.

An Israeli Jewish family reported being refused service at a food stand in Bad Hofgastein, Salzburg, in late September after the owner learned they were Jewish; the vendor disputes this, and authorities opened administrative penalty proceedings. At the Austria–Israel football match in Linz on September 24, pro-Palestinian protests and an anti-Israel banner were reported under heightened security, but police said it passed without incident. Austria recorded a record 1,532 antisemitic incidents in 2025, and 2026 saw a knife attack in Vienna and swastika stickers on Salzburg's Chabad house. The Israeli government advises increased caution; stay alert near Jewish sites, avoid demonstrations and allow extra time around high-profile Israel-related events.

On October 7, hundreds protested in Bogotá against Colombia’s renewed ties with Israel, including chants of “out with Zionists”; reports reviewed described no violence or attacks on Jews. Avoid demonstrations and the area around the Israeli embassy when protests are scheduled. In contrast, Colombian officials attended an October 7 commemoration with Jewish community members, and the government has publicly moved to strengthen ties with Israel. The reported protest was in Bogotá; no comparable recent incident elsewhere in the country was identified.

On October 12, a fire was set at a nursery and signs near Kochi’s historic Kadavumbhagam Synagogue; police arrested a man and are investigating the motive and possible links, which remain unconfirmed. The incident caused no reported injuries. India and Israel maintain close strategic ties. Israel’s government advises against travel to Kashmir, except Ladakh, and identifies moderate threat elsewhere in India.

Israeli authorities prohibit Israelis from traveling to Lebanon and from flying over it. On October 17, Lebanon announced it would send a military delegation to U.S.-backed talks with Israel in Florida on October 20; President Joseph Aoun also discussed post-UNIFIL security arrangements in southern Lebanon with France’s foreign minister. This reflects ongoing conflict alongside limited diplomatic engagement; reports reviewed did not identify a confirmed violent incident specifically targeting Jews in the past 30 days.